Hong Kong issue vaccine tracking: Is it OK to go to Hong Kong to get the HPV vaccine?

Hong Kong issue vaccine tracking: Is it OK to go to Hong Kong to get the HPV vaccine?

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Hong Kong issue vaccine tracking: Is it OK to go to Hong Kong to get the HPV vaccine?


On July 24, the Hong Kong Department of Health announced the interim results of the previously suspected counterfeit nine-valent HPV vaccine: the samples contained no HPV vaccine and no harmful impurities were found. Among them, the samples seized at the Medical Centre in Kwun Tong, Hong Kong contained sodium and chlorine commonly found in normal saline.




In other words, the so-called nine-priced HPV vaccine in which mainland tourists go to Hong Kong for vaccination may be "normal saline."

According to media reports, as of May 2018, nearly 2 million people in China have gone to Hong Kong to inject a nine-valent HPV vaccine.

"After seeing this news on the Internet, I was nervous. I immediately thought about the situation of the intermediary who had booked the nine-priced HPV vaccine before." Miss Liu of Guangzhou was the vaccine that was vaccinated in Hong Kong at the end of 2016. After the counterfeit vaccine incident, I have been worried about it. At present, the results of the mid-term laboratory test have completely disturbed her heart.

"Pro, you can do HPV antibody detection." Miss Liu received an intermediary after such a reply, I was more worried. Later, the intermediary said that there was no fake vaccine in 2016 because it was not out of stock at the time. Then, Miss Liu asked the clinic that was inoculated at that time. After the inquiry, she found that the clinic had a vaccine problem. Miss Liu’s heart was put down a little. When asked about the source of vaccine purchases, the agency replied that all the regular nine-priced HPV vaccines in Hong Kong was uniformly distributed by Yuli Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., with proof of distribution.

Another Miss Zeng who was vaccinated with a nine-valent HPV the vaccine in Hong Kong this year said that she would not do HPV antibody testing because she compared many intermediaries and chose this store with more branches and no bad records. The intermediary platform makes an appointment and the heart trusts it.

1. Hong Kong's nine-priced HPV vaccine with soaring prices and in short supply

The HPV vaccine is used to prevent cervical cancer caused by human papillomavirus infection, also known as a cervical cancer vaccine. The nine-valent HPV vaccine covers seven high-risk HPV genes, which is about 20% higher than the prevention and protection effect of bivalent and tetravalent.

"In 2016, when I went to Hong Kong to inoculate a nine-priced HPV vaccine, I would be able to play in the past if I had an appointment. I would have to pay more than 3,000 yuan for three shots." Miss Liu, who completed the inoculation of the nine-priced HPV vaccine in March 2017, told me a reporter. Miss Zeng, who came to Hong Kong to vaccinate the nine-priced HPV vaccine this year, was queued up for a month before she made a successful appointment, and the cost has reached more than 6,000 yuan.



From March 2016, the nine-priced HPV vaccine was officially launched in Hong Kong. A small vaccine experienced a soaring journey from 1300 Hong Kong dollars to 3,000 Hong Kong dollars.

In October 2017, the nine-priced HPV vaccine manufacturer, Merck (MSD), issued a notice to suspend the supply of Hong Kong to the end of November 2017; and on May 10, 2018, the United States, Merck (MSD) and Hong Kong's nine The suspension of supply of HPV vaccine has caused the Hong Kong nine-priced HPV vaccine to be completely out of stock. At this time, the mainland has not fully listed the nine-priced HPV vaccine. Therefore, many mainland women still choose to vaccinate the vaccine in Hong Kong.

According to media reports, as of May 2018, nearly 2 million people in China have been in Hong Kong to inject this vaccine. The shortage of vaccines directly led to the long queue of customers waiting for an appointment. Until this year, the shortage of goods has eased.

Perhaps the market situation that is in short supply has spawned the vaccine gray industry chain.

In April this year, Hong Kong broke the "parallel needle" incident. According to media reports, the Hong Kong Central Asian Medical Examination Group (hereinafter referred to as the “Circle Sub-Physical Examination”), which is suspected of a paralleled HPV vaccine, announced that it had “closed the door”. Some mainland tourists said that the vaccine was not finished and no refund was received. On the afternoon of May 10, Merck's customer service staff confirmed to the media that Merck's company stated on May 9 stating that the company did not supply the nine-priced HPV vaccine to Huayna.

The so-called parallel vaccines refer to non-compliant vaccines that are not registered locally in Hong Kong and are not transported in strict accordance with strict regulations. There is a great security risk. Beginning in April this year, several media reported that some mainland tourists said that after the injection of the above vaccine, the body appeared rash.

On June 5, according to media reports, two directors of the Central Asian Medical Examination was arrested by the Customs and Excise Department and were suspected of illegally importing pharmaceutical products, in violation of import and export regulations.

A time came to July when the Hong Kong Department of Health and the Customs and Excise Department jointly launched joint operations at two medical centers in Hong Kong on July 10 and July 12 and seized suspected counterfeit nine-valent HPV vaccine. To determine the nature of the seized product and whether it contains harmful components, the relevant samples were sent to the laboratory for testing.

On July 24, the Hong Kong Department of Health announced the mid-term results of the suspected counterfeit nine-valent HPV vaccine: the the sample contained no HPV vaccine. In other words, the inoculation of a the counterfeit vaccine is equivalent to a white fight and has no protective effect.

2. Where does the problem vaccine come from?

The intermediary company's customer service told reporters: All the formal nine-priced HPV vaccines in Hong Kong are uniformly distributed to registered doctors by Yuli Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. The vaccine is given to the clinic and has a certificate of distribution. Counterfeit vaccines may be purchased by doctors themselves. Consumers can ask for a box at the time of injection and verify the authenticity by checking the code.

Whether it is a parallel vaccine or a self-purchased counterfeit vaccine, it sounds scary. Therefore, where do the vaccines come from, and whether the vaccines purchased from informal channels are harmful is the focus of attention.

For the ingredients of the problem vaccine, Hong Kong Department of Health press release revealed that the department and the Customs and Excise Department had already sent the seized products earlier. So far, no harmful or visible foreign matter has been found in the samples, and the components of the HPV vaccine are not included. However, the sterility test for the sample is still in progress and is expected to be completed in mid-August and the results will be announced again.



The source of parallel imports seems to be somewhat confusing.

According to reports reported by the media in May this year, doctors in the clinics admitted to injecting German parallel vaccines for customers. The clinic is superficially operated on its own, and behind the scenes, it has partnerships with several medical companies, including a director of a pharmaceutical company. And companies in Hong Kong, China, Taiwan, and Germany all involved in the field of medical beauty.

Some media found that the "water card" at the gate of the commercial building where the clinic was located was covered by a medical company. The directors of this medical company were Mr. M from the Mainland and Mr. L (the doctor of the clinic), Mr. M. Previously, a loan the dispute was involved in the Mainland.

3. The problem vaccine, can we avoid it?

The gray industry chain behind the problem HPV vaccine is worthy of caution.

First of all, the doctors in the small clinics were deprived of medical products. The arrested male director of the Kwun Tong Xin Ying Medical Centre was indeed a registered medical practitioner. Although there were several irregularities in the past, he was removed from the Medical Council of Hong Kong in 2008. After the resumption of trading, he was involved in professional misconduct.

Secondly, the intermediary platform cannot be left out. According to media reports, the Shenzhen Internet Medical Platform, which has a cooperative relationship with the Hong Kong Garvey Medical and Vaccine Center, which is involved in the counterfeit nine-valent HPV vaccine, is a health care company. The company is Changle Weiyang (Shenzhen) International Information Technology Co., Ltd. The registered residence or business premises cannot be contacted. It has been listed in the business exception list by the Shenzhen Municipal Market and Quality Supervision and Management Committee Nanshan Market Supervision Administration and has not been removed.

Is it OK to go to Hong Kong to get the HPV vaccine? How to avoid risks?

The first is the qualification issue. The HPV vaccine is a prescription drug. It must be evaluated by a registered medical practitioner in Hong Kong. It is considered that the consumer can be vaccinated before the vaccination. The list of registered doctors can be found on the website of the Medical Council of Hong Kong or the Hong Kong Doctors Network before going to the doctors' evaluation website in Hong Kong. The doctor network fully understands the medical evaluation, and then makes appointments and vaccinations.

Direct contact with the doctor or medical institution can go beyond the intermediary, avoiding the intermediary not carefully reviewing the the behavior of the hospital or clinic, and facilitating the protection of the subsequent rights, but it takes a long time. Of course, it is also possible to confirm the inoculation medical institution in advance through the intermediary to facilitate further understanding.

Also, some insurance agents in Hong Kong can provide appointment vaccination services. Customers who purchase Hong Kong insurance can choose to make vaccinations in this way. Due to the close relationship between insurance companies and medical institutions, agents usually have registered doctors who are familiar with them. It can be recommended, and the long-term nature of the policy can also restrict them from swindling customers to harm long-term interests.

Secondly, the vaccine is known from the box. Merck's Pharmaceuticals have stated in the notice that the vaccine package has four anti-counterfeiting features, including the Hong Kong and Macao registered nine-priced HPV vaccine. The front of the carton is printed with "Plus Guardian® 9" and "MSD", namely Merck. The trademark of the Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. and the tin foil on the back of the carton with the registration number HK-64239 and the plastic case in the box also have the "MSD" trademark. If the public is in doubt, they can call the drug factory. Finally, it is also necessary to confirm at the time of vaccination that doctor vaccination is a previously verified vaccine.

If the consumer has completed the nine-valent HPV vaccination but suspected that the problem vaccine is injected, HPV antibody testing can be performed. This test only needs to take a 3ml blood sample and issue a test report within 5 working days.



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